JPH0512268B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to printers such as printing machines, copying machines, printing devices, and other devices that output (discharge) sheets of paper (collectively referred to as sheets) such as sheet paper, cards, and thin boards one after another. This invention relates to a sheet stacker (hereinafter referred to as this machine) disposed in the sheet output section of this machine.

For example, a container-type stacker for high-speed printers is generally adopted in order to facilitate the subsequent handling of stacks of paper output in large quantities. This uses a deep-bottomed sheet storage container called a container. The output paper from the machine is loaded and stored inside the container, and the container is taken out from the machine and brought to the required location. This is to take out the stored stacked paper.

Figure 1 is a partially cutaway slope view of an example of a conventional container A, in which the vertical and horizontal inner dimensions are approximately the same as the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the sheets to be accommodated, and the depth is designed to be relatively deep. , is a rectangular box whose top surface is open as a seat entrance 2, an opening 4 is formed at the bottom of the box leaving a frame 3 of an appropriate width, and a bottom plate 5 of approximately the same size as the seat is dropped into the box. Including picture frame part 3
It is something that is accepted by the people. Reference numeral 1 indicates the four side walls of the box, 6 indicates a handle for holding the container, and P indicates a large amount of sheets loaded and accommodated in the container.

As shown in the second figure, the loaded sheets P can be taken out from the container A using an auxiliary system consisting of a pedestal 7, a pole 8 erected in the center of the pedestal 7, and a container bottom plate receiving seat 9 horizontally attached to the upper end of the pole. Use platform B. The pole 8 has a length dimension that is substantially the same as the depth dimension of the container A. The container bottom plate receiving seat 9 is a plate member having substantially the same shape as the opening 4 formed in the bottom surface of the container.

That is, using the handles 6, 6, lift the container A in which the stacking sheets P are stored above the auxiliary platform B as shown in FIG.
The container A is lowered by aligning it with the container bottom plate receiving seat 9. Then, the container bottom plate 5 and the loading sheet P on it are connected to the pole upper end receiving seat 9 of the auxiliary stand B.
The container is placed on top, and only the four side walls 1 of the container are lowered. Then, by lowering the four side walls 1 of the container until they are received by the upper surface of the pedestal 7, the stacked paper P inside the container is completely exposed on the auxiliary stand B and taken out as shown in Fig. 2b. .

By the way, in such a container, when taking out the storage and stacking sheets P inside the container, the container A is placed on the desk surface D or the auxiliary stand B placed on the floor as described above.
This involves the work of once lifting the containers quite high upwards, so regardless of whether the amount of sheets P to be accommodated or loaded is small, if the number of sheets P is large, the entire container A is quite heavy, which requires labor. It had the drawback of being bothersome.

The present invention is also a container-type stacker, but the structure of the container has been devised so that when taking out the loaded sheets stored in the container, there is no need to lift the heavy container, and moreover, it is easier to take out the loaded sheets. The purpose is to provide something that can be done.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a sheet loading device in which a sheet storage container is disposed in a sheet output section of a device that outputs sheets one after another, and output sheets are loaded and stored in the container. A bag-type container consisting of a rigid bottom plate, four flexible or bellows-like collapsible side walls with a lower edge attached around the bottom plate, and a rigid frame edge attached to the upper opening edge of the four side walls. The gist of this paper is a sheet stacking device.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of the bag-type container A according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a rigid bottom plate having approximately the same shape and size as the sheets to be accommodated, and is made of, for example, a hard synthetic resin board, a wooden board, plywood, a corrugated cardboard structure board, or the like. Reference numeral 12 denotes four circumferential side walls made of flexible netting, cloth, hard synthetic resin sheets, etc. attached to the periphery of the bottom plate 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a rigid frame edge made of, for example, hard plastic, attached to the periphery of the upper opening of the four circumferential side walls. This frame edge is made one size larger than the bottom plate 11.

The frame edge 13 may be a simple rectangular frame with all four sides integrated, but in this example, the frame edge 13 is divided into approximately two equal parts to the left and right so that the upper opening of the container can be closed as shown in Fig. 4. The divided frame edges 13a and 13b are folded around shafts 13c and 13c to freely connect them to form a mouth frame structure. 13
d, 13d are the left and right dividing frame edges 13a, 13a.
Container hanging handles are integrally formed approximately in the center of the container and project outward from each other.

The slope view of the container A in Figure 3 is the frame edge 13.
The figure shows a state in which the flexible side walls 2 around the four circumferences are stretched tightly between the bottom plate 11 and the frame edge 13 and held in a container form by lifting the frame edge 13. When placed in the
As shown by the dotted chain line or as shown in Figure 5, the frame edge 1 is folded down on the desk or floor and placed on top of it.
It becomes a flat convolution state multiplied by 3. Hereinafter, the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 will be referred to as the extended state of the container A, and the state shown by the two-dot chain line or the state shown in FIG. 5 will be referred to as the folded state.

The four circumferential side walls may be configured as bellows walls or folding walls that are connected by hinges or the like and can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction.

6 to 10 are diagrams showing an example of a stacker device including the telescopic bag type container A and its operating state.

Reference numerals 20 and 21 are a sheet discharge guide plate and a sheet discharge roller of the present machine M (not shown) such as a copying machine (sheet output section of the present machine). From here, the sheets are sequentially discharged one by one to the stacker device.

Reference numerals 22 and 22 denote a pair of left and right horizontal rail members having a substantially C-shaped cross section, which are fixedly disposed below the sheet output section in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper); 23 and 23 are mounting and holding members thereof; and 24 and 24 are A slide rail member 25 is slidably fitted to each of the left and right rail members, and a container set frame 25 is attached and held astride the left and right slide rail members 24, 24. This container set frame 2
The inner opening 25a of 5 is the bottom plate 11 of the container A.
is large enough to pass through. Further, on the upper surface of the frame portion of the frame 25, there is a convex edge 25 into which the upper opening frame edge 13 of the container container A just fits and holds the frame edge 13 in position.
b is provided. 25c (FIG. 10) is a handle provided at the center of the front end surface of the container set frame 25.

Then, hold the handle 25c and remove the container set frame 2.
5 toward the front side, the slide rail members 24, 24 to which the frame 25 is attached and held slide along the fixed left and right rail members 22, 22, and the frame 25 is pulled out to the front side of the stacker device ( Figure 10).
When pressed in the opposite direction, the frame 25 moves inward to the stacker device.

To set the bag-type container A in the frame 25, the frame 25 is fully pulled out to the front side of the stacker device as described above, and the bottom plate 11 of the container A is inserted into the frame opening 25a from above. Then, the four circumferential side walls 12 are inserted, and the frame edge 13 of the upper opening is fitted into the inner side of the upper surface convex edge 25b of the frame 25 to be positioned and held. As a result, the frame edge 13 of the upper opening of the container A is positioned and held on the setting frame 25, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Next, the setting frame 25 is sufficiently pushed inward of the stacker device until it is received by a stopper member (not shown). As a result, the container A is located at the sheet receiving position below the sheet output section (FIG. 6).

Reference numeral 26 indicates a stacked sheet leading edge alignment plate disposed vertically in front of the sheet output sections 20, 21, and 27 indicates a stacked sheet side edge disposed at the rear side of the stacker device between the plate 26 and the sheet output sections 20, 21. Aligning plate 28 is placed on the top surface of the stacked sheets and aligns the sheets with the above-mentioned aligning plate 2.
It is a rotary paddle that is biased to move in directions 6 and 27, and is composed of a motor 28a and a rotating body 28c having flexible paddles (vanes) 28b radially provided around the periphery.

Reference numeral 29 indicates an elevating horizontal arm that can freely slide up and down along the vertical guide bar 30, 31 and 32 indicate first and second sprockets disposed near the upper and lower ends of the vertical guide bar 30, and 33 indicates a vertical arm. A drive sprocket driven in forward and reverse directions by a reversing motor m, 3
4 is a chain that is suspended around the three sprockets 31-33. 1st and 2nd sprocket 3
A part of the vertical chain portion between 1 and 32 is firmly and latchingly connected to the base of the horizontal lifting arm 29 by a latching member 35. Lifting horizontal arm 29
When the drive sprocket 33 is rotated in the normal direction, the vertical guide rod 30 is rotated by the counterclockwise rotational force of the chain 34.
It moves upward along the line. Conversely, drive sprocket 36
When is driven in reverse, it moves downward. Reference numeral 36 indicates a pole erected on the tip side of the horizontal lifting arm 33, and reference numeral 37 indicates a container bottom plate receiving seat horizontally attached to the upper end of the pole.

The vertical lifting horizontal arm 29 is normally located near the lower end of the vertical guide rod 30 as its home position as shown in FIG. 6, and the container bottom plate receiving seat 37 is
It is located facing the bottom plate 11 directly below the container A which is held by the set frame 25 and is located at the sheet receiving position and hanging down in an extended state.

S1 is a photoelectric sensor for detecting the top surface of stacked sheets, which is composed of a light source and a light receiving element, which are arranged opposite to each other so that the optical path is an inclined optical path upward to the right on the front side and the back side with the stacked sheet leading edge alignment plate 26 inside. The light from the light source enters the opposed light receiving element through a through hole formed in the alignment plate 26. S2 and S3 are a full sheet detection micro switch installed above and below in the vicinity of the vertical guide bar 30, and a descending limit detection micro switch for the lifting horizontal arm 29. A switching operation is performed by the contact of the stop member 35.

In the state shown in FIG. 6, when a signal is issued from the container set completion switch (not shown in the figure) or the horizontal arm lift start switch, the drive sprocket 33 is driven to rotate in the normal direction and the horizontal arm 29 moves upward. do. As a result, the container bottom plate receiving seat 37 rises, and the projection 37a provided on the upper surface of the receiving seat 37,
37a are fitted into holes 11a, 11a provided corresponding to the surface of the container bottom plate 11, and the container bottom plate 11 is positioned and placed on the receiving seat 37. Next, as the arm 29 continues to move upward, the bottom plate 11 is moved upward greatly, and the bottom plate 11 is moved into the container set frame 25 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
The container passes through the upper opening frame edge 13, which is positioned and held by the set frame, and is lifted upwards therefrom. As the bottom plate 11 rises, the four circumferential side walls 12 sag in a substantially U-shaped cross section between the frame edge 13 and the bottom plate 11, and are in a drooping state.

During the upward movement of the arm 29, the full sheet detection microswitch S2 is pressed by the chain locking member 35 passing upward, but this signal is not involved in device control.

When the arm 29 rises to near the upper end of the vertical guide rod 30 and the optical path of the photoelectric sensor S1 is blocked by the upper surface of the bottom plate 11 lifted upward from the upper surface opening of the container (FIG. 6, indicated by the two-dot chain line). ), in response to that signal, the forward rotation of the drive sprocket 33 is stopped and the further rise of the bottom plate 11 is stopped, and the drive sprocket 33 is subsequently turned into the reverse direction for a short period of time, so that the bottom plate 11 is moved by a predetermined constant amount. It is held at the lowered position and temporarily enters a standby state.
By lowering the bottom plate 11 by a predetermined amount, the photoelectric sensor S1
The optical path is opened again.

In this state, when the sheets are sequentially ejected from the machine M side, the ejected sheets are aligned with each other by the plates 26, 27 and the paddle 28, and are placed on the bottom plate.
Load and accumulate on top of 1 one by one. As the sheet accumulation progresses, the photoelectric sensor S1 is placed on the top surface of the accumulated sheet.
When the optical path becomes blocked (FIG. 7), the drive sprocket 33 is reversely driven for a short period of time in response to the signal, and the bottom plate 11 is again moved downward by a predetermined fixed amount. Therefore, an estimate of the amount of this sheet, bottom plate 1
By repeating the downward movement of 1 by a predetermined amount, the bottom plate 1
A large number of output sheets P are stacked on the paper 1. By this sequential downward movement, the bottom plate 11 holds the loaded sheets P within the four circumferential side walls of the container and descends.

As the stacking of the sheets P and the sequential lowering of the bottom plate 11 progress, as shown in FIG. It is detected that the maximum amount of container capacity has been reached. This signal gives a container full warning. Alternatively, the operation of this machine M is automatically stopped, and
The arm 2 is rotated by the reverse drive of the drive sprocket 33.
9 moves down to the home position at the lower end of the vertical guide rod 30 and waits (FIG. 9). The arm 29 is lowered to the home position when the chain locking member 35 at the arm base comes into contact with the microswitch S3.

During the descent and return process of the arm 29 to the home position, the four circumferential side walls 12 of the container are fully extended, and the stacked sheet P on the bottom plate 11 is entirely accommodated in the container A, and its weight is It is in a state where it is supported by the tension of the four circumferential side walls 12 via the bottom plate 11. Further, the bottom plate receiving seat 37 descends as the arm 29 continues to descend, and the projections 37a, 37a on the top surface fit into the corresponding fitting holes 11 on the bottom plate 11 side.
a, 11a, and the edges are completely cut off from the bottom plate 11 (FIG. 9).

Therefore, the container set frame 25 is pulled outward toward the front side of the stacker device along the rail members 22, 22 using the handle 25c, and the upper opening frame edge 13 of the container A is removed from the set frame 25.
is folded in half as shown in the fourth figure to close the upper opening of container A, and the handles 13d, 13d are
, pull up the container A containing the stacked sheets P above the setting frame 25 using the
Or the frame edge 13 (13a, 13b) folded in two
The stacker is removed from the stacker device by passing downward through the frame opening with the frame facing diagonally to the opening 25a of the setting frame 25, and transported by hanging it like a bag to a desired location.

Even when the sheet loading amount on the bottom plate 11 does not reach the full capacity, by pressing the bottom plate lowering switch (not shown), the drive sprocket 27 is continuously driven in reverse from that point on, and the arm 23 returns to the home position and descends. container A.
can be taken out.

To take out the loaded storage sheet P from inside the container A, place the container A on a desk or the floor, widen the bifold frame edges 13 (13a, 13b), open the upper opening of the container, and open the container A. By lowering the edge 13 downward, the container A is folded flat on a desk or floor surface due to the flexibility or foldability of the four circumferential side walls 2, as shown in FIG.
The stacked sheets P inside are exposed and ready to be taken out.

That is, according to this container A, when taking out the stacked sheets P inside the container, unlike the conventional container described above, there is no need to lift the heavy container above the auxiliary stand B, and moreover, the upper opening frame edge of the container Since the stacked sheets P inside can be exposed by simply lowering 13, the stacked sheets P can be easily and easily taken out.

Furthermore, when storing the empty container A, it can be folded flat, so it has the advantage of not taking up much space.

Furthermore, the frame edge 13 of the upper opening of the container is made into a peg frame structure 13a to 13c as in the embodiment, so that the mouth of the container can be closed, and a lowering handle 13d is added to it, so that the inside of the container can be closed during transportation. The stacked sheets P will not be scattered, and the container can be transported with one hand.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a partially cutaway slope view of an example of a conventional container, Figure 2a is a cross-sectional view of the container lifted above the auxiliary platform for taking out to take out the storage and stacking sheets, and Figure 2b is a sectional view of the container being taken out. 3 is a partially cutaway slope view of an example of the container of the present invention, FIG. 4 is the same view with sheets loaded and housed and the mouth is closed, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the loaded sheets being taken out. FIG. 6 to FIG. 9 are diagrams showing the configuration and operating state of an example of a stacker device including a container, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container set frame portion. A is the container, 11 is the bottom plate, 12 is the four peripheral side walls,
13 is a frame edge, 29 is an arm for lifting and lowering the bottom plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a sheet loading device of a type in which a container for storing sheets is arranged in a sheet output section of a device that outputs sheets one after another, and output sheets are loaded and stored in the container, A bag-type container consisting of a rigid bottom plate, four flexible or bellows-like collapsible side walls with a lower edge attached around the bottom plate, and a rigid frame edge attached to the upper opening edge of the four side walls. A sheet loading device. 2. Claim 1, in which the rigid frame edge is made into a roughly two-part body and has a peg opening frame structure that can be freely folded over each other.
The sheet loading device described in Section.